An Englishman's Secret
by xMelodyx
Summary: Several events lead to their union and love and, to untangle the mystery itself, we'll enter a voyage and take a deep look into the Oldest Alliance in the World. Who'll be the first nation to find out their century old secret? Includes interactions with fellow countries during the course of history.
1. Nightmares and Solace

**Hello everyone! Well I haven't been posting much lately as I was busy and all, today we'll start with an insight on the relationship beetween my and my friend's ,who's like a sister to me, countries. **

**This is an insight of England and Portugal's story during the centuries, their lives with the other fellow nations and a secret that has been kept for centuries! I do not own Hetalia and Portugal is based on Himaruya's sketch with the female, long haired ,Portugal. This story is strongly history based so the chapters might take a while, don't worry I'll keep writting ^^. Enjoy.**

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**_An Englishman's Secret_**

**Chapter 1 – Nightmares and Solace**

The streets were silent, too silent for the ears of the British man as the dawn gave life to the destruction that occurred over night; it was a painful sight to see his heart in ruins, consumed by the flames of hatred that were deep inside of those who started this dreadful war. The gravel hid the corpses of several families and companions as the ashes kept floating around his tired body, the flames that gorged the buildings, the stench of death… Arthur Kirkland could barely stand the pain the echoed inside his soul, but this war was also for a better cause, and the spirit that lead his soldiers forward could be easily seen in the burning eyes of his fellow countrymen that were already rising from the shelters where they spent the night. His people were scattered everywhere, counting the wounded and searching for the dead; both civilians and military helped each other on the attempts of keep moving forward. But today was a victory as well, he was the almighty United Kingdom and he would not fall without giving a proper fight, the causalities were on both sides and the damage taken by the Germany Air force was far larger than what London took on the present night. England counted the days and wished for the end of the war with a burning passion; however no one knew how long it would take, how many innocent souls would leave the world of the living until the massacre was over.

Dark black circles could be easily seen under his bright unwavering green eyes, the sharp pain coming from his right shoulder slowly took the last fuse of patience that he currently had; although he should probably bandage it in the medical facilities that were quickly arranged down the street, he still had plenty to do, people to find and someone to meet later that day. His movements were restrained as he tried to move the rumble out of his way, just timber, bricks and dust covered his path, it should be an easy walk for him… he was a strong country after all however, these construction objects that were destroyed by the force of several Nazi bombs, were covered in blood that kept dripping slowly from the walls that remained stood proudly in place. Small puddles of blood covered the floor of the country he loved; his mind was on the verge of breaking, the thoughts and images made his intracranial pressure rise giving him a terrible headache. How he wished he could have a soothing cup of tea at that moment.

Tomorrow England and the rest of the Allies would have a meeting to retrace their steps and also to develop a strategy that could change the course of this bloody war and, if he was lucky it would all go smoothly… well not with France on the same room as him, or America talking with his mouth full of greasy hamburgers… how could someone eat so much grease and not get sick? It didn't matter anyways, tomorrow he would present to the others the battle strategy that he started working on few days ago, but for that to work he would need the help of an old comrade, someone he trusted for over 557 years and would continue to till the end of his days. Someone he trusted with all his heart and soul, not only as the country he was, but also as a human being; he just hoped it wouldn't harm her more, he knew she was going through a rough time as well.

Wondering who that might be? It was Maria Carriedo, Spain's older sister and the country known as Portugal. He was nervous about meeting her later that day, they didn't see each other for a while now and he missed her more than he would ever verbalize, the feelings that woman provided him… he had no control over his actions, he was drawn to her by strong feelings that could only be described as love. His heart would skip a bit every time he saw her, his face became flustered immediately after a single thought of the lady who kept his heart. Bloody hell, he couldn't bring her to the meeting! Any insinuation of any kind would definitely make him blush and reveal the secret both shared for centuries. It would be him who would ruin it, he knew so… he didn't want to hurt her anymore due to the alliance both shared, if the other countries knew that there was more, she would probably be invaded more frequently, her people killed and he wouldn't allow it; as for the other reason: pure mortification, he knew he would never be more embarrassed in his life if the others knew…

1943 was the year this unfortunate event occurred and as the sun rose from the depths of the skies, it kissed England's pale skin with the warmth of a cloudless day ahead of him, the reds, oranges and pinks painted the landscape with the hope that was kept within his sore heart. He was looking forward to the rest of the day; a small smile appeared in his soft lips expressing his heart's content in meeting with another soul. He just had to do some cleaning around first, as well as on himself for that matter, he looked like a train ran over him to be more precise and it as no way to present himself to his lady; so, with the strength that was left, he continued to search the ruins for his fellow Englishmen before he could get some sort of treatment for himself.

Morning soon gave way to the afternoon, the sun shone bright through the windows of one specific house where we see our blonde man cleaning as much as he could before the arrival of his beloved brunette. The thought of her crystal blue eyes with the small bits of green reminded him of the ocean both conquered not so long ago, the waves crashing against his ship, the salty breeze that filled his lungs with ease and adventure. It was an easier time for him; this former pirate enjoyed the long trips through the unknown wishing secretly to find in the endless seas his own secret treasure… Instead he found her brother, well it was ok if he sank his ship and stole his goods right? That thought always made him smirk like in the older days, when he was the most feared pirate in the seven seas. He refrained himself from pirating her ships, but it didn't mean he wouldn't take a peek inside the Caravela just to search for those blue orbits that made him stop breathing until his body reminded him that breathing was necessary to keep him alive. Her long hair always got entangled in his fingers after… He instantly blushed, but… he missed those moments when the world was theirs, when he could easily go check on her or be alone. Arthur signed, he couldn't let his mind vague away, soon enough she would arrive.

He checked himself on the mirror one last time just to confirm that he looked like a mess, his hair was all messy as always but he looked indeed tired, the war took a toll on him as expected. Arthur wore his military uniform as there was not really much time for formalities; his arm supported by a sling next to his chest already wrapped up and slowly healing; now he could just rest for a while and wait "patiently" for Portugal's arrival.

Not far away from there, Portugal walked down the streets of London and she couldn't help but shed a tear for those who succumbed during the hell that was brought on earth once again. She remembered clearly what happened in the previous war… As the humanity evolved; wars became more violent, innocent blood spilled on lands… She hated how the world would have come to this; she was also suffering from this war but more from those who were ahead of her government. Her once tanned skin looked pale, even ill in comparison to the previous years, however she would not worry him about such thing, if she did more of her people would suffer; barer of the cross of strict neutrality, she kept her brother from joining Germany's side, and even with the small help she could give to Arthur, she was able to maintain her country out of more potential harm during this horrible time… Portugal would never break their commitment to each other, even if it put her on target.

There were many things you should know about Maria Carriedo, although she was a small country she was brave and adventurous, kind and supportive. She was friendly to anyone knew, she could cook and be there for you as soon as you asked; but if you tried to invade her or any of her little brothers that she found during the Age of Discovery, she would haunt you down with her explosive anger and battle tactics. Who said a small army can't beat someone to pulp? Her relationship with her younger brother, Espanha, was just like a bumpy road, just plain stressful; although they had their moments, he would always annoy her, try to take her lands, invade her… but deep down, in a place where she locked it with chains and locks, she loved him like every older sister would. She was sort of cheerful like him, but his extra cheerfulness made him look like a complete idiot and embarrass her in front of everyone; especially of the one she shared centuries of history and love. She had a gigantic patience indeed…

One of the things she hated the most was being compared to her brother, it would have been a disgrace if she was born a male; and she thanked god that didn't happen. Right now there she stood on the front of his porch looking nervously at the front door that led the way to a typical British house. Normally she would wear her uniform that consisted on a pair of pirate looking thin high boots, some dark brown trousers with a beige dress shirt that hid her ample chest and a long earing with the colors of her country's flag; but even though she was a bit tomboyish she liked to dress herself up sometimes, especially if that involved looking pretty for someone that was always in her thoughts. She was one independent woman, she shouldn't feel all mushy and flustered about trying to look pretty for him, but she couldn't hide her rosy cheeks even if she wanted. She was there, right in front of his door wearing a slim cut cream dress with dark brown wooden pumps on her feet, on her chest was an ancient heart shaped silver necklace that she wore all the time; incrusted in it was a sapphire starfish with some more gems around. That necklace had a great history behind and she would never take it by all means, it represented the history she and Arthur had together; it was the key of their secret. The one, who found out what the necklace, would find the truth behind their history as allies.

She took a deep breath before knocking on his door, her heart beat was accelerating, her already rosy cheeks became deep scarlet, and, before her hand made contact with the door, she looked around to see if anyone was looking or passing by. A quick sound of relief came from her vocal cords as she caught the sight of no one around; now calmer; she knocked on the door expectantly with her suitcase on her right hand and butterflies flying inside her whole self. They haven't seen the other for far too long, and she wished that this trip would ease some of her longing for him.

As soon as England heard the soft knock on the door, he knew who it was; he left his seat almost abruptly leaving the book he was reading abandoned on the floor of his cozy home. He was ecstatic and couldn't help but smile on the way to the door. With his hand around the door knob he opened the door slowly revealing the woman he was expecting, she looked beautiful as always, to be honest he was not counting on seeing her in a dress but God she looked stunning. Immediately his heart stopped and his pupils widened at the sight of such beauty, his available hand quickly found the way to serpent around her small waist pulling her right into his chest. Right now he was in Heaven and he would never let an angel such as this return from where it came from.

Portugal just smiled sweetly as soon as the door opened to reveal what lay hidden on the other side, although inside she was having an internal battle with her pride and already flustered cheeks that fought to became more evident, outside she appeared calm like the sea before a storm. "Olá Ingla-ah.." was all she managed to say as she was abruptly pulled into the warm arms of the Brit which made her lose her grip on her luggage; well she only felt one circling her as she still was unaware that the other was hurt. As soon as she made contact with his chest she became completely scarlet, what happened to him? He wasn't usually fond of public affection… and right now they were on his front porch hugging. All the air left her lungs all left when her chest and hands entered in contact with slightly muscled chest, her legs started feeling jittery from the emotions that rushed as electricity from the tip of her fingers to the rest of herself. How could he just sweep her out of her feet so instantly? She was no frail maiden who would melt at the slightest display of affection; but her heart couldn't help but swollen by the feeling of love. Even embarrassed by the abnormal impulsive behavior that Arthur just displayed, she just put her hands on his back and hugged him as close as she could. Her face felt so hot, she just hid it right there on the nook of his neck. He could feel her breath warmly against his it, the warm fuzzy sensations just kept spreading along his body as he rested his head next to hers and closed his eyes momentarily. He mumbled something inaudible as he breathed in the familiar scent; she still had that salty scent of the sea lingering on her waist long hair and he loved it. He completely forgot where he was until he realized two things: one, there was something very soft and quite big pressing against his chest and two, as he opened his eyelids he could see that they were standing outside where everyone could see.

Feverishly his face and body heated up immediately, the pulse dropped and his hand quivered under the touch of the Portuguese woman, gently, with his left arm, he pulled away looking everywhere but her eyes. "I-I'm sorry… Hello love", he said quietly aware that her gaze was upon him. He still failed to realize that he was still holding her shoulder lovingly, but she would not say a word or he would became more red then a tomato; there was a lot more about England that met the eye. He was quite romantic when he wanted to, Portugal loved him for who he was, and truthfully she thought that his tsundere kind of personality was quite cute. "Hello Inglaterra.", even her velvet voice set his senses on fire, he couldn't refrain from looking at her anymore. "What happened to your arm?" she asked with both a frown and a sweet smile, he could easily see that he had worried her once more. "I'm alright love, it was just a bit sore that's all." He answered as he removed his left arm from her shoulder and took hold of her luggage. She was still worried but she would leave it for now as they were still in the front of his humble home. "Come in, I'll make us some tea.".

Portugal gladly accepted his request and entered Arthur's home, crossed her arms around her chest and gave a quick look around the house. "I missed it here…" he heard hear mumble quietly, and a warm feeling immediately burst from the depths of his heart. He set the luggage down and closed the door behind them; he could say that in this moment nothing could ruin his happiness.

"Maria…" he called with his voice failing him, he couldn't be more embarrassed and so he stepped forward towards her; when she heard her name she turned to the green eyes she ought to see till this very moment, her heart pounded violently, her chest burned and she felt herself quiver with the sound of his voice, to be honest she loved his accent it made the butterflies inside her stomach spread their wings and fly around wildly. She was about to kiss him, she felt it, the force that pulled them together, but as soon as she was going to turn that thought into action… "Do you want help unpacking?" he solely asked making her stop on her tracks. "No there is no need, I'll just put the things upstairs for now.". Outside she was smiling like she would always did, but inside she couldn't have felt more frustrated; as soon as she picked the luggage and turned around to climb the stairs, she bit her lip slightly and cursed her mind for thinking that he would just kiss her right after they've seen each other. "I'll prepare some scones and some tea okay love?". "Sure, I'll be right back." She answered half heartily… She didn't really want to eat one of his scones… but for love, she guessed that her stomach would suffer during the remaining hours of the present day.

In the kitchen, England was preparing the ingredients and everything that he would need to bake the scones, the kettle was already heating up the water so that he and Portugal could share a nice cup of tea together. "I blew it…" he told himself, actually he had every intention to kiss her right there on the spot. He missed her and he wanted to tell her that he did; that he loved her… But he chickened out, he still had present in his mind that moment where he just hugged without a care in the world outside and then, when she turned around and he saw her sweet smile, her flawless skin, her perfect plump lips that he desired so much; his body came to a halt. He was so angry at himself that he couldn't stop frowning and complaining under his breath. He would get what he wanted, that greedy desire was what made him people shiver during his pirate days, no one could defy him; he always got what he wanted.

Since he couldn't move well with the sling on his arm, he removed it and took hold of the magic wand to mix the dough perfectly; he wanted those scones to come out perfect for her; who knew that England had such a romantic side on him. Meanwhile Portugal was upstairs in their room unpacking her clothes, she hated it when Arthur ceased his impulses of kissing her without a care in the world, she felt in her skin that he wanted to kiss her too, but… BOOOOMM! She heard from down stairs and as soon as the sound waves reached her ears, her skin ran cold and she ran downstairs frantically; where they under attack? "Inglaterra!" she yelled as loud as she mustered as she ran towards the kitchen. "Ingla… Hum?" she stopped.

"Portugal…?" he innocently asked. He saw Maria's face twisting in a funny way and then she started laughing hysterically. She couldn't breathe through each fit of laughter as she was caught in the view of England with dough all over his hair, kitchen and a broken magic wand fuming on his right hand. Her belly was starting to ache so badly. "Why the bloody hell, are you laughing woman?" he said angrily at her, but that just made her bend over her stomach laughing harder. "I'm sorry.. I-I'm…" but she couldn't end her sentences as the laughter returned and tears of amusement ran down her rosy cheeks. England was losing his patience but he did the exact opposite of what we expect him to do, instead he grabbed hold on her right wrist surprising her and captured her lips in a warm passionate kiss.

With the shock, Maria didn't kiss him back immediately, but as soon as she realized what was happening she melted in the kiss that both shared. Her lips moved lovingly against his easing the want that her heart desired for such a long time, slowly he began to pull her closer with a stronger grip with his arms around her possessively; Arthur tilted his head lightly and deepened the kiss. Portugal was swept away by the emotions and sensations that came with the kiss; she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Smirking into the kiss, England groped her butt which angered her, but startled he was able to snake his tongue inside her perky lips making her moan sweetly. After several minutes relishing the kiss, their lips parted. Breathing erratically, wiped the dough that passed from his face to hers. "I love you." he proclaimed boldly looking deep into the soul of the Portuguese woman; he missed her for far too long… "I… I love you too…" was all she could say before a kiss was once again stolen. He smiled into the kiss devilishly with second intentions. This time he wouldn't let her go.

The moon rose from the depths of the sky as both Portugal and England got in their bed, England had bought a larger one ever since she started spending some nights there with him; with her there he could always find peace in this ruthless world. Portugal looked dashing in her nightwear, her violet nightgown, contrasted with her slightly tanned skin that shone whenever the moonlight shone. She always braided her hair before sleeping; when questioned she answered that there would be plenty of knots to deal with in the morning. And England knew that she was not a morning person. Cuddling next him, Portugal gave him a small peck on his nose with wish the Brit responded by wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her forehead gently. "Sweet dreams Artie" she said smiling. "Sweet dreams Maria, and please don't call me that." he said flustered. Portugal just giggled at it; his pale skin would always trick him into showing his embarrassment. Maria leaned in for one more kiss before they drifted to sleep and once they got comfortable, they stayed that way until the sun rose once more to announce a new day. Several events lead to their union and love and, to untangle the mystery itself, we'll enter a voyage and take a deep look into the Oldest Alliance in the World. Who'll be the first nation to find out their century old secret?

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**Stay tunned for chapter 2, Review and Rate please. I would love to know the opinions of other hetalians. I'm taking suggestions if you're willing, but not those who change the course of the story. See ya around.**


	2. The Siege of Lisbon

**Hello everyone, I hope all enjoy the second chapter of my story as i remidn you that this all facts are historical except some that i mention. Have fun and please rate and review i would love to know your opinions. Portugal and England did share some sort of frienship before the Treaty as sevral commercial ones were made before 1386; England even aided Portugal before the treaty when she was beeing invaded by her sibling, but that will be in the next chapter. Enjoy ^^.**

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**Chapter 2 – The Siege of Lisbon**

In the XII century, the Iberian Peninsula was still in a never ending effort to take back the land that was stolen from them by the Moors, although they taught them many things, Portugal and Spain were not very fond of the idea of being invaded again. Ever since they started being small villages, they were invaded by Rome, some sort of Germanic barbarians, and not shortly after they were invaded again! They wanted their Christian lands back, how dared they come and name them Al Andaluz?

Little Portugal was named Lusitania back then and she didn't like to be seen as weak and be taken over and over again; she was very stubborn when people tried to take what was hers from right. There were times that she and Spain would play with the Great Roman Empire; he even wanted to adopt them as his little children. He taught them new things, helped them by teaching them how they should care of their people but he never comprehended their fondness of playing around with bulls. Every time he joined, he would end up sore on the ground while the kids were energetically running around waving red flags at them. Both liked him very much for what he did for them; but Portugal always got grumpy over being proclaimed as someone else's land. She wanted to be free and explore the world. She was going to be one strong nation and never be taken over again, that was what she always said before going to bed at night.

Both were still under Rome's wing when Portugal started having her dreams, little Spain always heard them and wanted to do the same as his sister, he wanted to be with her always. She was very nice to him, but a bit scary when angry… "Lusitania! Wait for me!" screamed the younger nation while following his sister around, by then she had the body of an 8 year old while he was just 6, it made following her around a lot more difficult. "Hermana! (Sister)" he screamed once again reaching for the bottom part of her tunic. Maria liked to have her little brother around, she liked to be able to nurse him and scold him when he misbehaved, she was a nation that held a mother instinct in her, she wanted to help raise many other nations and maybe that's why she committed on taking care of so many in the Age of Discoveries. "We are almost there Antonio, I'm not going anywhere." she told him sweetly, today they were going to pick up some fruit for lunch and maybe play a bit more afterwards. "Wait…" and a sound of cloth being ripped was heard which made Portugal stop as a wide gash appeared on favorite tunic right on her left thigh which resulted on an immediate blush. "Ah... I'm sorry Hermana!" Antonio said, already running away from his sister. "HISPANIA!" she screamed as she ran after him with her cheeks all flustered and tears in her eyes due to embarrassment until they reached a small river and started throwing water at each other. For others who passed by, it was delightful to see the innocence of those two nations playing around like nothing else mattered but having fun with their sibling.

After several hours both children were laying under a tree watching the stars, right next to each other like both their people. "Hermana, you love me right?" the little boy asked. That caught Portugal by surprise as she never expected her brother to ask such a question, she was perplexed even. "Of course I do, why do you ask?" she answered truthfully looking into the green eyes of her cheerful sibling. "Even when you're angry at me?" he asked again with a tear rolling down his chubby baby cheeks, it broke Maria's heart to see her little brother like this so she stretched her arms and hold him close to her heart. "I'll always love you; you're my irmãozinho (little brother), even when you act like an idiota (idiot).". With that statement little Antonio accepted his sister's embrace and closed his eyes as his sister petted him and nurtured him to sleep. That's how Rome found them, both cuddling next to each other sleeping peacefully and Lusitania's arms protectively wrapped around her little brother; he had to ask someone to paint this for him.

Times change and with her independence, her relationship with her little brother changed; his boss was not content with her parting ways with his Kingdom, but now she was free and independent just like she dreamed and she wouldn't step back. Now Portugal's body resembled a female in her late teens and her brother in his middle teens, her body was long and reached her waist, but every time she went to battle she tied it down in a low ponytail. During the last centuries she and her brother were able to set some footing in their previous lands and both couldn't be more delighted. But…

"Hermana don't go!" said the Spaniard who was tearing up slightly at the view of his sister going with her new king. His heart was breaking, he didn't want her to leave he wanted to be with her forever, go exploring and even fight those who stole their lands together. He loved his sister. Portugal stepped closer to her brother who was starting to stop uncontrollably and hugged him tightly. "I'm not going away Spain. We live right next to each other, remember? You can always come to visit, okay?" she smiled to her little brother, she too loved him but both knew that one day they wouldn't be able to be around each other all day, just like people did, nations also grew old and had to take care of themselves. "No, I-I don't w-want you to…" he answered holding her tightly unable to control the sobs that kept coming from the depths of his heart. This time Portugal held his face with both hands and kissed his nose lightly, she was going to start tearing up if she saw her little brother like this for much longer, she was strong and she would show him that they would be ok. He was growing tall, very, and it wouldn't be long till he surpassed her height. "You promise that I can visit?" he asked shyly with his eyes red from the little stream that kept finding a path to flow down his face. "Of course." she said smiling, his sister was always smiling even when they had a bad time and that made Antonio happy, although they would be apart, he wouldn't lose his sister.

Suddenly a tall man approached the two of them, with all the sadness and sorrow they forgot that both their Kings were there watching. Portugal said that her King was named D. Afonso Henriques and it was him who put a hand on his sister shoulder and asked her to come with him. Maria looked once again to her brother and waved him goodbye, she would try to visit him too as they were siblings after all, however as they were starting to leave he heard his King mumble something under his breath that he didn't quite understand; the poor teen was a mess with red eyes and ruffled hair, he would miss his sister so much. All he heard was his king say that he shouldn't worry and that they would get her back… But Spain didn't quite know what it meant at the time. That night when she was alone, Portugal cried, she wanted her dreams to come true and be a strong independent nation, but ever since she remembered they've been together; with each tear she shed the pain intensified, her heart broke the moment she saw tears in her brother's eyes. She too would miss him very much.

Now it was 1147 and Portugal was one step ahead of being recognized by the Pope as an independent nation, all she needed to do was fight the Moors and retrieve their lands back to the Christians. Her next goal was Lisbon and prove that a small country like herself could be a great warrior and take care of itself on its own, she would do her best to make her King proud; although she was still a teen nation. Retrieving Santarém had been quite easy, but they had to keep going south until they reached Algarve; now they would need help to siege Lisbon, and, for that, her King sent an appeal the crusaders who agreed to help the King in exchange of the goods that were kept within the city's walls and ransom the money from the prisoners. And so, after the arrangements were made, the troops were sent to the lands that surrounded Lisbon to develop a strategy that would assure them victory.

They were strong warriors from several places in Northern Europe, places where Portugal wished she could go some day. By what her King and troops told her, there were several crusaders: the Scottish, the English, the Normans, a group of Viking descendants who lived in Northern France and finally the Frisians and the Flemish, both part of a Germanic ethnic group; as expected other nations would be there, it would be an opportunity to show her strength as well as make friends and possible alliances. But besides her brother and those who set footing in her lands, Portugal knew no one. She just knew that such nations existed, as the father of her King was French himself. The representatives of each country were a mystery, she had no idea what to expect from them such as fellow nations and as warriors. She had to get Lisbon no matter what it took.

Unknown to her, there was a nation there, more like just the representative who wasn't supposed to be there; historically he didn't even go there. And it was no other than France hiding behind some bushes, why was he there? Well he heard that a new country was formed and that the father of the King himself was French so decided that it would be nice to check out this new country and maybe fetch something or get someone that would help him gladly on his task of beating up England to pulp. Unaware to him though, there was a slightly pissed of man behind him who didn't appreciate the presence of the certain frog, as he liked to call him. "It's a belle femme!(Beautiful lady)" he exclaimed out loud. Now France himself was quite happy about asking the Normans for a ride, time to seduce some frail maiden. "Ohonhonhon, let's see if you like some Frenchman's lov…" SMACK! Right on France's beautiful face.

"What are you doing here you bloody frog!" yelled Arthur after kicking Francis full in the face knocking him out of balance. "That was uncalled Angleterre! I just came to see what the new nation looked like!". France was currently getting up from the floor and take the dust off of his fancy clothes, he was already furious and ready to start bickering with England. "You git! I heard fairly well what you said about her, that's no way to talk about a lady." England retorted pissed off, but his armor didn't allow him to move as freely as France who was just wearing casual clothes. "Lady? Don't tell me you have your eyes set on her already Angleterre! Who would want to have you when they could have moi?" said France with full confidence on his blond beautiful long hair and a face compared to those of an angel; in his eyes of course, but that phrase made England both blush in anger and embarrassment as he immediately started choking the life out of the other nation. "S-shut up, those aren't my intentions at all!" yelled the furious English man. "S-St..op… ch…oking m-me!" France proclaimed as both started fighting and choking each other in one of the corners of the camping sight. But in the end France retreated, leaving Arthur cursing at the seven winds due to the slight pain that he felt on the left side of his skull, he was sure that a lump was slowly growing there.

After a long meeting with the Portuguese King and Portugal, the crusaders went to their respective tents; meanwhile England was still sat on a big log next to the fireplace to keep himself warm, he was more than ready for the upcoming battle and it seemed like this King he was now helping had some good battle strategies, it seemed like he had outstanding military capabilities, as much as he was a good politician, it seemed that Portugal was going to be one strong nation someday; not as strong as his though. Arthur liked those features in a leader, he just had to do his part; he would show the strength of England and earn the biggest amount of loot back to his homeland. Right now he just had a big headache; his brain was throbbing which made him slightly dizzy and very uncomfortable as it felt like it was splitting in two. At least the fire was something he could focus on until he started feeling better.

"You shouldn't get hurt before a big battle you know?" said a tender voice right next to him. As England looked towards the sound he saw the young woman from before smiling warmly towards him; in one thing France was right, she was indeed beautiful but her eyes were astonishing from a closer look. He swore that when he looked at them, he was staring right at the sea… "That wanker deserved it anyway." Arthur said seriously, avoiding her hypnotizing gaze by looking at the fire as a small rosy color crept his cheeks. "It was quite a fight; I hope you're that strong in the battlefield." Maria said. "I'm Portugal by the way, who are you?" she asked curiously. Meanwhile England's mind was processing that he just received a compliment, something that he was not quite used to considering who he had to endure most of the days. "I'm England; it's a pleasure to meet you lass. Would you like to sit down next to me?" he asked politely. "Yes." She said smiling at him.

"You got there a good leader Portugal, how come I've never heard of you before?". Arthur was quite curious; he doesn't remember meeting her while he was little and apparently she was looked a bit younger then him. "I've been under several other people like Rome and the barbarians, and then the Moors arrived. I just dreamed of becoming a strong country and find out what's out there in the world, in the seas… Me and my brother Spain got tired of being under someone and so I've become independent some years ago. But I need the Pope's approval to be considered a nation like you are, that's why we're here to siege Lisbon.". There was some sort of melancholy and hurt in her voice, but also desire and dreams of becoming big and strong. He could see himself a lot in those desires she held, he too had the same wishes and dreams. "You do seem like a strong lady though…" those words where proffered by Arthur without he even recalling so, with that Portugal just smiled at him and offered him half of the bread she had with her. "Were so you have energy for tomorrow, it's just the outskirts from the town but you still need to be safe.". At his puzzled expression Portugal giggled and put the bread on his hands. She was about to walk away but the Englishman stopped by calling her name. "Wait Portugal... what's you're human name?" he asked quickly before she left his sight. "I'm Maria Carriedo, what about you England?" she turned around to face his green orbits staring right back at her. "I'm Arthur Kirkland… I-I… thank you… for the bread. It was very nice of you."

"Don't mention it, sweet dreams." Where the last words that he heard from her that day, immediately Arthur started nibbling on the bread she offered him; all he could think was that she was quite nice and seemed to be always smiling. A smile like that was one of those who gave men the strength to fight for what's right, to end wars victorious just for such a small gesture. He looked forward to see this nation tomorrow as it was the first that was so kind to him.

Morning was quick to come and as the sun rose and the troops were already in position to start; the first order of command was given by Portugal, they would surround the villages around Lisbon and conquer them on by one so they could have strategic advantages and a place to build the catapults and towers that would be used to cross the wall. England was assigned in the group commanded by the young woman, before the battle started he noticed her tying down her brown hair with a blue ribbon into a low ponytail, to keep it from crossing her view he assumed. The orders were proclaimed in Latin, the universal language used in that time by those with more instruction; that way most people would be able to understand what she meant. She wore an armor just like himself, a sword and a shield; according to plan they would start the siege in July, but to the Englishman the heat was unbearable. He was used to the cooler summers in his homeland, so walking with such a heavy armor took a small tool on him. The word to go forward was given, their strength surpassed their enemies and so they were defeated quite fast. Everyone was concentrated on the Portuguese woman's words as they moved in the field, every once in the while he looked towards where she was battling wondering how she was doing. He couldn't keep that thought as me moved the sword against the Moors; she looked like she was dancing while she moved against the enemy troops. Her movements were swift and fast, sincerely England thought that a rapier would be a much better weapon for her to use as her quick sword trust inflicted in the enemy were less powerful due to the sword's weight. Nevertheless, she looked stunning… She was a fierce but kind young woman and he couldn't help himself but want to know more about such girl. He caught himself many times aiding her, standing there by her side as he didn't want her to get hurt; even back at his teen years England was a gentleman, but what indeed happened was that this small nation he was fighting with filled some sort of hole that he had in his heart. He never had a friend before or a fellow nation who would be nice to him right way, somewhat he was happy.

Portugal fought like a true warrior and what drove her was the dream of being recognized as a nation, to be strong and to be free. She kept her troops in order as she fought as hard as she could, sometimes she found the nation she met yesterday night right next to her helping her with the enemies, he was so strong and so precise with his sword and shield, his eyes looked focused like nothing could end is concentration on the task that was given. Inside she wondered why he was there next to her. Did she make a friend? If so she would be thrilled as she had no one; she smiled to herself with that thought as it would be nice to have a friend. Shortly the crusaders overpowered the troops in those small villages and walked forward towards Lisbon, with their strength, it seemed like it wouldn't take much time to reach Lisbon and start the siege itself.

That night, England sat on the same log where he was the night before, wishing secretly that a certain woman would sit by his side again. The warm flames relaxed his sore muscles, he didn't get hurt this time around and he was proud of himself for it. The night was silent and those who were appointed for patrol were silently doing their jobs as he sat there thinking about the little feeling of happiness that Portugal gave him. "Alone again?" she asked which surprised Arthur and ceased his thoughts. "Yes, I'm normally alone. Would you like to join me?" he asked politely, looking to the delicate lines that composed her tender face and slightly tanned skin from the burning sun. "I would love to." she answered and sat there right next to them. "You are one amazing soldier; you think you can teach me?" Portugal instantly said. England was quite surprised by the sudden question and quite embarrassed by the complement, but he wouldn't deny her request. "S-Sure, here take this sword."

Maria rose form her seat and grabbed the sword that England gave her and put herself in a battle stance. "When you're holding a heavy sword like this, you have to make sure that you have a good grip." he said, Portugal looked towards him as he got up but wasn't expecting him to grab her hand and mold it against the sword's handle. "Just like this… I-It's also important to gain some balance before each attack and due to the sword's weigh it will also be more powerful". He grabbed her hand, he just realized that he was still grabbing it and didn't pull away! The sudden emotion that ran from the tip of his fingers to his body was confusing, he felt his cheeks burn slightly so he was quite happy that she couldn't see him as he was behind her. "I… see." was all she could say at the moment as she felt odd when his hand made contact with hers, it made her heart become all warm and fuzzy and she didn't understand what that was. "Thank you." She answered as she turned around to face him… "Are you blushing?" she asked with a small giggle. "NO! Why would you ask such a thing?" He almost yelled and averted his eyes from her, as his blush became more noticeable; with his sudden change of behavior Portugal started laughing and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "There's no need to be embarrassed, I think it's cute that you blushed.". England mumbled something under his breath as he was a bit uncomfortable with the situation and Portugal noticed so; she thought that he was kind of nice so she asked him if he wanted to just stay there and talk a bit more. Arthur didn't complain about her request and they stayed there talking, with it he learned many things about Maria, mostly her past and her younger brother who gave her the ribbon that she used to tie her hair; England too shared some of his history, it was odd how he seemed to be able to trust her so easily. Maybe it was her smile that drew him into sharing things he never did with others, or was it her friendly nature? It simply didn't matter as from that point on they started to bond and every night she would sit there next to him and talk a bit more. A friendship was being forged right there in that moment and both didn't even realize how they would end up like.

The siege was maintained for four months as the Moors surrendered due to the lack of water and food inside the walls, during that time England learned many things about his new friend. Yes he considered her a friend already, she was very curious about the world and kind, and she was fierce, adventurous, a bit of a tomboy at times it seemed. She dragged away from the camp to train with him once in a while, the mud that eventually covered her skin after a fight didn't bothered her much, and, she always smiled even in the toughest times. They've built towers and catapults to be able to break and climb over the city's walls, but it was still a bloody war. He also found out that he shouldn't anger her much as she was quite scary when angry. There was one time were the two teens were fooling around playing with each other, something that her King found amusing; Arthur had taken her ribbon and ran away playfully, but she got mad and started throwing sharp objects to retrieve it, but England didn't mind It, it was fun to mock her a bit as well.

There was time when he found her crying over the loss of her comrades, it seemed like it had been eating her alive for a while now as she held him in an embrace and didn't let go. All he did was stay there by her side and comfort until she felt better. At those times those weird feelings returned and he wondered what they could be, she always found a way to make him happy, to make him blush, to feel alive in a world filled with wars; she smiled, she listened to him and she made fun of him as well; and he felt happy. Ever since she met Arthur, Portugal felt less guilty about leaving her brother, she felt independent and that she earned a friend. He liked to mock him so much, it was cute to see him struggle with his blushing issues, to see him hide his true feelings behind a cold front, but when he caught her unwell… He stayed there right next to her comforting her. That day she hid her face on his chest not to let him see her tears, but to hide the blush that was slowly emerging on her cheeks; it seemed like over the months he spent with her she developed some sort of crush over Arthur; at least that what she thought it was as her heart didn't seem to rest when he held her tight. That night she saw him blushing too, she knew him so… such display of affection might have been unconfutable for him so she apologized for being an inconvenient, but she didn't know that her breasts pressing against his chest were not helping at all, they were big and soft and if the British thought about it too much he would become scarlet; hugs were troublesome…

Today had been the last day of the siege and the crusaders were violently looting the town much for her distress, she wished that things could have gone more smoothly… red was all she saw on the floor, on the walls; she had done it though, now she could be a considered a nation and that made a small smile appear on her worn out face. However it was too soon to celebrate as from the shadows a Moor rose ready to attack her, Arthur who was not far from there saw the man approach his friend and he immediately shielded her with his body as his countryman gave chase to that man. "England! Are you ok?" she said concerned. "I'm ok Maria. it's nothing…" he said not wanting to worry her more by covering the gash on his right arm, but Portugal didn't believe in him so she dragged him away from the town and took him to some sort of place where they could have more privacy; she knew that England was lying, she had seen the blood rushing from the wound.

"Sit!" she commanded as soon as they stopped in the middle of a small portion of forest. "I'm not a dog! You can't order me around like that Portugal!" he almost yelled, but seeing her worried face and unwavering stare he did as she said. Maria sat in front of him examining the wound; gladly it wasn't deep, now she just had to dress it somehow so it didn't get infected. Portugal untied her hair and wrapped the wound with her ribbon, much to England's surprise, for what he recalled that ribbon had been a present and she should use it on him. "Portugal, don't do that, your ribbon will get all bloody…" but she didn't comply as she kept dressing the wound. "I'm sorry you got hurt because of me Arthur…" her voice seemed so lifeless at the moment that it scared him a bit. "I just wanted to protect you, we are friends right?..." he asked almost scared of a negative response from her, but Portugal just smiled and looked deep into his jade green eyes. "Of course we are, that's why you can have someone in my country if you want, that way you'll be forced to come and at that time you can return it. Maybe we could even make a commercial route between our countries. That way I can get some delicious codfish and cook it for you when you come to visit."… England was well speechless… "I-I'll… come… to visit if you want…" he said all flustered, that warm feeling was beginning to spread again from the depths of his heart.

Portugal was a bit unsure of what she was about to do, so instead of giving it much thought, she leaned closer to England and gave him a small kiss on his left cheek, her lips felt so warm when they touched his smooth pale skin, her heart was in a complete mess as she tried to calm it down; she was so embarrassed and happy at the same time that after the kiss she stood up and offered him help to get back up just to get away from any odd stare that might have been given to her. Arthur was so enthusiastic and flustered about being able to see Maria again that he just returned from his thoughts when he felt a her warm plump lips against his cheek, immediately he felt feverishly, his face had such a great amount of blood rushing into it, that several shades of red appeared on his face; and when her lips parted he still felt them on his cheek, he felt all warm and weird as he enjoyed that feeling so much. He was completely stunned by the sudden emotions that were immerse in his heart, but soon enough he took Portugal's aid avoiding her eyes completely and got back on his feet, however… he didn't let go of that hand until they were back next to the others. Both didn't know what to say to the other, but being like this felt just right.

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**This is also a special thank you to felivargass2pasta who has given me an amazing support for this story. Hope you enjoy it as well ^^.**


	3. Peaceful Moments

**Hello everyone !I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the others, the next one will have the first Spanish invasion. Thank you feli-chan for your support in this story and review if you have some characters who you would want to appear later on in the story. **

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**Chapter 3 – Peaceful Moments**

Several years later, England was inside his room in the castle that belonged to his current King, Edward II; the small windows granted the messy blonde to glance upon the clouds who hid the sun from his ever pale skin over the years. It was a peaceful day it seemed, there had been so many wars lately that he didn't get the chance to rest for a long time, to embrace his thoughts and to return something very important to a person. He haven't seen Maria for a while now, however she kept invading his mind every brief second, every night, every time his eyelids closed he would see her face smiling to him; he would remember the times they spent together, and those feelings that he could not understand. Now, as a young adult, Arthur knew what happened in those few months that he got to spend with her, he had fallen for the Portuguese woman, quite badly too.

The moment she kissed his cheek with her warm rosy lips; he lost all reasoning as his heart gained life on its own and compelled him into never let go of her. It had been enough, the time they've spent together; enough for him to develop feelings for her and now, in the loneliness of that room of his, when he was tired of all the problems and wars that he had gone through, he would dream of those times and more. Leisurely, Arthur took the blue ribbon from his pocket where he kept it at all times, he was able to clean the bloodstains from it thankfully, but till this very moment he didn't get the chance to return it or to meet her again. He had no news and that was slowly driving him insane, but he wouldn't admit that to anyone; his King was no fool though; he noticed when his nation started to space out more than the usual, however he had been informed that an important letter from Portugal arrived and so he asked a servant to call England over.

"Mr. England?" asked a young maid outside his door. "Come in." he answer without looking away from that smooth piece of fabric; the young maiden entered his room and bowed respectfully to her nation as she was English herself, she did notice though what was keeping Arthur so focused and immediately realized what was going on inside her nation's heart. "My Lord, King Edward is calling you to discuss some matters in the throne room." she purely said to the messy blonde. England got up from his seat next to the window and looked to the young maiden and excused her from her services; the blue ribbon still tangled around his fingers eased his heart whenever there was an important task on his trail, but now it was not the time to deal with such confusing thoughts and so Arthur went to meet up with his King.

Back in the throne room, Edward the II was reading the letter with an indecipherable expression, his eyes moving enthusiastically at the good news that such letter brought to his land wounded by war; it was 1308 and it seemed like Portugal, a land they helped some centuries ago, wanted to start a friendly trade of merchandize between both countries, something that could benefit England a lot. Although he was considering the option of signing a commercial treaty with this country, he wanted the honest opinion of his nation's human representative as he was the only one who could have some sort of information about this land that was not very far from his. After several moments of thinking what would be the best to his country, his England appeared and walked proudly towards him; Arthur bowed to the expectant King and approached him. "England! I have some matters that I would like to discuss; you see, we've received a letter from Portugal." said the King summarizing the reason why he asked for Arthur's presence. "What about it Sir?" he said emotionless as if denying that he couldn't be happier for finally hearing something from her, to know that she still existed, that she remembered him; as if his heart didn't stop when he heard her name. "It seems like Portugal would like to establish a mercantile trade between both nations, but I do not know much about this country; economically it would benefit us a lot, but I would like to have your opinion over such delicate matter."

"I think you should accept the offer Sir, I've met the representative of this fellow nation and I guarantee that we wouldn't be betrayed, it seems to be a loyal and very friendly country." was his answer, a very honest one in his eyes; Maria was not the type of person to do such a thing, she had been friendly and kind to him from the start, she was beautiful, strong, independent, funny… His mind was driving him into dangerous road, a place where his lips would capture hers after a long embrace, a place where she would be his if she asked her to be; something that he couldn't picture himself doing. He knew he was in love with this woman, but he had no idea how to show it, plus the fear of a possible rejection haunted him at night. He had to admit that he was much better at war then on these sentimental things, France was right that night, she would never gain interest in someone like himself. "What if we invited Portugal and took care of the arrangements personally, I would love to meet an acquaintance of yours my dear England.". King Edward was quite intrigued about Portugal, he never heard his England compliment another nation ever since he was born, he was willing to see the origin of such compliments and assure the future of his country.

Arthur couldn't be more delighted by such news, he would be able to see her once again and hopefully things would go smoothly between them; after going to his quarters he laid there in his bed with his strong arms hiding his green turbulent eyes, his lips grinning with happiness and excitement, his heart beating with love and fear as he waited for the woman who cursed his dreams; who knew curses could be also amazing. Several days have passed, and today would be the day Maria would arrive with several other Portuguese dignitaries who would negotiate the terms of their commercial trade. By now, Arthur was still not sure if he should tell her how he felt, he had been asking the magical creatures around his homeland for some advice, but all the plans they've made ought to fail.

The green English fields emanated such an amazing scent, the trees, the clouds, it was such a beautiful scenery to take in; Maria couldn't stop contemplating his homeland as she set footing on the fluffy endless grass. She had just arrived on shore with her countrymen and her horse; during the wars of the Reconquista, she found a black horse that she became very fond of, a horse that would be considered a Portuguese breed in the 20th century. Known as the Lusitano horse, her horse was a very strong war horse that she would eventually use during her bloodless bullfights; Portugal loved that horse, it was very brave and noble, quite big for her frame, but very kind, calm and intelligent, she named him Lusa after her ancient name, as a descendent of the Iberian horse, hers needed a strong powerful name as well! Unfortunately for her, she was forced into a dark blue dress which made riding Lusa a difficult task, she would have to do so sideways it seemed… The court of her country wanted to impress England and maybe forge an Alliance with them; Portugal didn't really understand why wearing a dress would change England's opinion about her. They were already friends…

Although she would rather wear a pair of trousers, she wanted to look pretty for Arthur as well and with that thought in mind, the silky fabric, that moved with the wind and was going to make her trip sooner or later, didn't bother her as much; she would only be content when she saw Arthur, she just wanted to know how was he doing, if he had grown more powerful during the years, if he missed her like she missed him… She had grown into a beautiful woman who was constantly gazed by the eyes of men, one day she got so annoyed by such disrespectful behavior that she unsheathed her sword right to the guy's throat; he wouldn't annoy her again as they started to fear her instead; she just giggled every time they would let her pass the moment they saw her.

Maria stepped a bit farther from the ship to take in the magnificent view plus her once steady heartbeat became unsettling; the nervousness pulsated to her fingers by the thought that she would see him again. When she gave it too much thought, she felt his warm skin on her lips, her legs losing the strength that kept her from falling; her heart would start to ache with the feelings that his hands on hers would give her. That moment Portugal thought he would yell at her or push her away, but his reaction was so comforting, maybe he liked her just a tiny bit, he had call her a friend after all. When alone she thought about the time they've spent together, she liked to talk to him at first but as time went by she started to like him a bit more than expected, she wanted to know more and hold him tight in a never ending embrace. In his arms she felt safe, like he wouldn't let anyone harm her; what an odd feeling to have, he made her feel so strong and weak at the same time; his voice eased her heart in the hardest times, it was music to her ears, an endless lullaby.

After a small amount of time, the horseman assembled by the King to pick up their guests arrived and lead the way to the castle. Lusa's strong muscular paws galloped through the earthy roads of England, the movement blowing his mane and his owner's hair backwards, she would have to fix her hair as soon as she arrived, she didn't want to look like a wreck once she saw him; she just hoped that the dress was worth it and she looked at least a bit pretty in his eyes. At first she thought that she had a small crush on her friend, but after that kiss and when she started to think about it, she had fallen for him. The reason she wanted to be with him was because she made her happy, because she loved his personality, because his lime green eyes hypnotized her; she caught herself wanting to hug him and kiss him, be his. Probably he just saw her like a friend… and that broke her heart slightly. They were just friends after all and with so many beautiful maidens that were scattered around the small villages they passed by, why would he look at her? Portugal just sighed, it wouldn't do any good to suffer in anticipation, even if her doubts were brooding inside her chest; it was a special occasion after all.

An opponent castle appeared in the distance and that meant that she would be one more step away from Arthur, her smile became wider and the thumps of her heart became wild, just as fast as Lusa's paws hit the ground with each gallop. Finally, within the castle walls, Maria stood in the end of the line fixing her hair frantically before a certain Englishman caught her in his camp of vision, she was becoming more nervous by the second which her horse felt immediately. He whinnied in discontent when Maria left in in the castles stables, he felt her heart shift pace and the fear that emanated from her soul; he didn't want her to go away. He tried to follow her before a servant put him inside one of the stalls, but Portugal knew what her horse wanted. She approached the tall animal and rested her forehead on his and petted him sweetly. "It's going to be ok." as all she needed to say to calm him down, he relaxed immediately when she stroked his mane and played with his ears amusingly. Lusa tried to show her that he too felt better by trying to stroke her face with his, but he was quite clumsy at it, however Maria didn't mind. She loved him very much and one delicious carrot later, Lusa lay down to rest his weary paws, he saw his master leave with a smile on her face and that was enough for now.

Inside the throne room was a very nervous England with a drop of sweat starting form on his forehead due to the nervousness that shock his whole being, he couldn't seem to stay in place; he walked back and forth or he just kept moving in the same position. "What's wrong England? I never saw you like this?" asked the King wary of his nation's discomfort. "I'm sorry my lord, I just haven't seen Portugal in a while now, I'm wondering if she's ok." said Arthur innocently. "She? So your friend is a woman huh? Now I know why you're so nervous... Is she that pretty?" mocked his King, it was quite fun to see England unsettled like this.

"She is indeed beautiful, but I'm not sure of what my King meant." Arthur was quite suspicious about Edward's speech, not like it wasn't true, but he didn't like it when people implied things; especially about his feelings. "Nothing, nothing..." that a kiss couldn't solve he thought, his nation had a thing for Portugal! That was quite adorable he just hoped things could go well with this nation for many years, even he wouldn't like to see his nation heartbroken. Soon enough, the arrival of Portugal and her dignitaries were announced; Arthur just stared to the end of the hall waiting for a small glimpse of Maria. The moment she walked in, he couldn't help but look at her the dress that flew smoothly with her curves, she looked like a grown woman now, just plain beautiful, her eyes were still bright like he remembered, her flawless skin, the way she moved, his heart just dropped dead at moment as he contemplated his beloved. She saw him as soon as she stepped in the room and she smiled, just like she always did in the older times and he couldn't help it but smile to her as well, both bowed to each other eager to just get out of there and talk; his King noticed their reaction even swore that he saw England blush at the sight of the young woman, maybe his England had been luckier than he thought. Maria couldn't believe in how much he'd grown during the times they were apart, he was a taller, more muscular, but his eyes were the same, so was his messy blonde hair and his smile. She was so happy to see him again; her heart was going to fail her if it kept beating so hard against her chest, Maria just couldn't be happier, it felt like she was going to lose herself in those green eyes of his…

The trip had been long so Edward II asked them if they would like to stay for some days and schedule the meeting for tomorrow morning, it was noticeable that his guests were tired from the journey; he wanted to give them the best stay they could have. After the formalities both England and Portugal found themselves alone in one of the many halls that composed the castle, Maria couldn't believe how handsome he still was, if she wasn't careful she would end up flustered like Arthur was already. He still didn't lose that habit of his, but at least he was smiling at her which eased the worries that were consuming her heart earlier.

"It has been a while, Inglaterra." she stated, it had been quite a struggle go get her lands back and she was only victorious in 1297; she deeply wished that it had been faster but she had no power over such things. "Inglaterra?" he asked surprised. "Yes, now that I have my official language that's my name for you or… I can always call you Artie!" she giggled, it had been too long. "Don't call me Artie please, I-I… was worried about you Portugal.". Arthur's face just increased the amount of red shades that he could show in a short amount of time; he couldn't believe that he just said that out loud, it was not like him to just tell others how he felt… but then… this was not just a person to him. However, what he said surprised her; he hadn't been so open with her before and now he was worried? Her heart wouldn't last much longer if he kept playing with it like this, she had to hold her emotions in place and as a desperate measure to do so she bit her lip slightly. "I'm... ok… I was able to conquer my land back, plus I got one amazing horse along the way. Maybe we can see it later." she was trying desperately to get a hold of herself and refrain from looking into his deep green eyes, she just smiled and wished that she wasn't blushing. "I would love to, but you must be exhausted. Why don't I show you your room instead?." he asked politely, although… he would prefer to talk to her instead. "Actually no, I would like to spend some more time with you… I-I've missed you…" she was completely out of her mind at that moment, she had to, because she just confessed that she had miss him all this time. She was starting to feel her cheeks slowly warm up, if he realized that she told him that she thought of him she could face a possible rejection; but Arthur was love-struck by her words, he felt a great amount of confidence over well him, maybe… he could just tell her now right?…

"Kiss her!" said a tiny squeaky voice from behind a stone pillar, but loud enough for England to hear, it was one of his best friends mint bunny encouraging him to go forward, but that made the inverse. Arthur couldn't have been more embarrassed… "Arthur, did you hear something?" she asked, oh Arthur was not liking this at all as his face looked like a red light bulb. "Ah… N-no, here I'll show you the garden!" he said quickly giving her his arm for her to support on. Portugal just went with him, but she was certain she heard voice… Maybe it was her imagination at least it calmed down her nerves for a bit. The garden was magnificent, the scent of thousands of flowers toned his emotions a bit, he would have to have a serious talk with mint bunny that evening. He was so happy that she didn't understand what he said, but still Arthur as quite surprised that she heard anything at all; maybe she too could see magical creatures. Now in a stone bench, both sat there peacefully; Portugal stared in awe to the beautiful English garden and Arthur would just observe her as her eyes seemed to shimmer every time she saw something new, she was always so curious about the world.

The tall trees from the garden gave them some shade while they stood there, sometimes the sun would peak through the branches and touch her skin gently, Arthur was sure that God was torturing him, she looked so beautiful like this. "Come on England, return the ribbon and then kiss her." said mint bunny as he flapped his wings to fly away from his angered friend, he wanted him to be happy but for that he would have to stop being shy. Hiding between the branches, mint bunny watched them closely wishing that his friend tried to be happy for once. "I have s-something for you Portugal…"stupid stuttering, he just couldn't control it when he spoke to her, he was sure that he was bright red at the moment too. "Here." He said as he handed her blue ribbon over. "You've kept it? Thank you." Portugal was so happy to see her ribbon once more, luckily her brother didn't ask where was it as she didn't want to lie to him, England had been too kind to her, he even kept her brother's present safe after all these years; she was truthfully thankful. "No problem." said a very abashed England blushing to the tip of his toes; now her hand was brushing his sweetly, she couldn't believe that she was able to be so bold about it and he didn't seem to mind… "England? We're friends right?" she asked avoiding his eyes that were now certainly looking at her. "Y-Yes, why?".

"Do you mind if I don't wear dresses much?" she didn't want to offend him or his people, but it became annoying when she wanted to hunt. "Why? It's not like you look prettier with one on." He said bluntly. "What do you mean?" asked a very angry Portuguese woman, who caught England out of guard; he was quite startled by her sudden anger; didn't she get what he was trying to say? "I meant that you look beautiful no matter what you wear." That was it, he was going to tell her right now how he felt. "Nice save." said Maria still annoyed at him, she had misunderstand him… Arthur just held her hand and approached her slowly; he was going to tell her right now what she meant to him, he wouldn't back down. "I've meant it Maria, you're very beautiful.". This time she knew he meant it... he was getting so close, was he going to kiss her? Her heart was just pounding so heavily, her eyes were already half closed expecting a pair of lips next to hers, she leaned over to be able to meet him halfway, she just wished that this wasn't a cruel dream. Mint bunny was so happy, he couldn't contain his excitement and hoped over the branch where he was spying the shy couple, unfortunately, when they were inches apart the branch cracked over the pressure and landed square on Arthur's head.

It would take some time until they shared their first kiss, in most attempts Arthur would chicken out and make an excuse, even though Maria encouraged him to continue by not pulling away from him. It all started the next day after the first try, Arthur was now more confident that Maria might feel the same as he did, but it was not enough to break the shell that he built over the centuries. It all started with a hunting trip where both were relaxing next to a river, Maria had convinced him to go play with her in the water, mint bunny even made her trip so that he caught her in his arms. Once again they were inches apart from each other, he could surely feel her heart race as much as his, but at the last minute he complained how it would be her fault if they caught a cold… Mint bunny was surely not pleased, and of course Arthur wasn't either as he cursed himself all night for being such a wuss. The next day he caught her cooking him something just like she had promised during the siege; mint bunny was hiding under one of the pots, she saw her smudging his face with dough and laugh at him sweetly, he wished so much that he kissed her already! He started to try to hit her with dough using a wooden spoon as a catapult but ended up catching her instead; the moment was perfect, both there alone and this time he wouldn't interfere. He had her cornered against the wall, she was perfectly still waiting for him to make the first move, she didn't want to pressure him into anything he wasn't ready to do; at least those small moments meant that he liked her more than just a friend… She just didn't know how much, but voices were heard coming from upstairs and he froze once again, releasing her as fast as he could all flustered and ashamed of how blunt he had been. There was just no way that England could do this right, he couldn't tell her that she loved her, he couldn't kiss her and mint bunny just bothered him every night telling him what he could do next. He wouldn't tell him that he was very grateful for his tips though.

The next night all repeated itself, this time he walked her to her room and she kissed his cheek like when they were still teens; she loved him so much, but the buildup and the time that it was taking them to finally show their feelings was taking a tool on both. They were eager to kiss each other, to finally confess that they loved each other, but it was being so hard! This time though it went differently, Arthur ended up swallowing all his pride and kissed her forehead completely frighten by what could have been her reaction; but she was just shocked by the happiness that she felt on that very moment. He couldn't stay there any longer after what he did, so he just said goodbye and dashed through the hallway with his lips burning in delight.

Now time was running out, Portugal would have to return to her country in two days and he still didn't tell her; mint bunny congratulated him for the kiss on her forehead, he had to confess that he was quite proud of himself to be able to do such a thing. Presently, the King made a small feast before his guests could leave and Maria was stunning like always, this time she had a red dress hugging her delicate skin; he only saw her for a brief moment as other members of the court were willing to talk to him, but as soon as he got rid of them he went to find her. She was there where they almost had their first kiss, the moonlight made her shine in possible ways; she was indeed his heaven on earth. "Maria, what are you doing here in the cold?" he said as he put his coat over her shoulders; Maria was so concentrated looking at the stars that she didn't realize that Arthur was right there. "Oh, hi Arthur." she said a bit startled as she got up from her seat. "I was just looking at the stars, they look quite lovely tonight.". "They sure do…". England was quite desperate right now; he didn't want her to leave without telling her. "Maria, I love you." he said confidently while he gazed the skies, he wouldn't even look at her right now, his heart was making it very difficult to breath but it was relieving to finally say it out in the open. Portugal went completely breathless as she heard those words, she completely lost control of her actions and approached him slowly; she held his face facing him towards her and asked what was haunting her soul. "Do you mean it…" she looked so frighten and fragile at the moment, she couldn't even feel her legs; he was so flustered after his confession… But now it was much worst, he couldn't control his heart that was threatening a potential escape from his chest, he was slowly running out of confidence again; but those bright blue eyes were begging him to say such powerful words again. "I do… I l-love you." this woman had such power on him, he just stuttered when he looked at her as he wrapped his arms around her small waist. "I love you too." she said immediately after him and all his fears and doubts disappeared.

Finally everything had been said between the two of them, he pressed her body against his slowly and leaned slowly towards her rosy lips, her arms now wrapped around his neck so that this time he couldn't escape. They were mere inches away from each other, their lips dangerously close… He could feel her breathing eagerly, their hearts speeding up simultaneously and his face moving slowly towards hers. Their eyes were half closed at the moment, this has been as close as they have ever been from kissing one another. "Don't pull away this time… please…" she asked him breathless, but there was no need for such words as Arthur closed the distance and their lips touched for the first time. It was a very slow kiss as both explored the feeling for the first time; at first both were extremely shocked that it had finally happened, but soon enough their lips started moving slowly and affectionately with each other, their hearts burned with happiness and love as Arthur tilted his head slightly to deepen the kiss, it was a simply amazing… No words could describe what they've felt at that moment and when they parted due to the lack of air they stayed there in each other's arms looking at each other lovingly. Both were blushing madly, but they didn't pull away; he just wanted to stay like this forever and so did she. "Will you be mine?" Arthur asked to the woman who stole his heart, but there was no need for words as Portugal captured his lips with hers once again, telling him that she would always be his. In the end mint bunny was just happily hidden behind a bush, proudly cheering for his friend who just had his first glimpse of true happiness.


	4. Promises and Betrayal

**Hello everyone, first of all sorry for the time it took me to upload chater 4, my granny got severely ill and meanwhile college started... And as a nursing student I'm going to have to work on hospitals, it's my last year :D so the updating timing will be different it will depend on the time I have to research the historical facts and writting and manage it with the amount of work I have from now on. All dates and facts are accurate, England did help Portugal before the Alliance was forged even during the 100 years war with France. The song in this chapter is called Loreley by Blackmore's Night, I don't own it or the characters in this story :3 **

**Next Chapter: How England helped Portugal when both her and SPain's Kings were having stupid quarrels before the Alliance, the 100 years war (more bickering with England and France) and maybe the actual invasion, it depends of how the story unfolds, rating might be changed to M for suggestive themes in later chapters ^^ Enjoy**

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**Chapter 4 – Promises and Betrayal**

Laying in her guest room, Portugal slept peacefully as the first sun rays clashed into her closed eyelids; leisurely she breathed with the remaining events of yesterday night still in her mind, in her dreams and in her heart. Her departure was near and although she liked to sleep, she wanted to make the best out of her last day next to Arthur but she didn't know what to do… The sun was rising from the unknown as she woke up, making her stir uncomfortably under the warm bed covers. With eyes half way closed, she got up from the bed sleepily; she didn't preached eye last night after what happened. She still felt his arms around her and his lips on hers when she went to bed, and for many hours she thought about that small, meaningful request that changed everything between them.

She was exhausted, but even so, Maria got herself dressed and searched the castle for Arthur; they didn't had much time to talk about their shared feelings and with their status as nations, it was important to discuss several matters. How would their relationship change how things worked between their countries, if they could establish an alliance and help each other mutually, most of all she wanted to know if he was completely serious about them. She was no little girl blind by the illusions of love, she knew that many things would try to break them apart as they were nations after all… But she loved him too much, more than she wanted to admit and such could put her in danger; she didn't mind if it did though, she would never betray him or leave his side plus she was a strong young lady, she would surpass everything that life as a nation threw her. Her velvet green dress matched the color of her eyes that roamed around searching for any sight of England, but she didn't find him. With her arms crossed bellow her chest she sighed, she had searched everywhere, his room, the halls, the kitchen, the stables, everywhere she thought of; the only place she didn't went to was the throne room.

From the distance, clouds approached serenely and joined in small grey clusters like a warning for the rain soon to come, she liked it though; the emerald green fields, the never ending forests, the scent of humidity that crossed the land, her eyes just gazed the beauty of the English countryside with love; his land exuded tranquility and charm in many ways, just like he did… The overwhelming scent of the trees reached the windows of the castle, much for her delight. With her head leaning against the cold stone wall and her eyes set on the view, the thoughts from earlier crept into her mind; she had bonded with his land quite profoundly and she didn't want to go away, now it was like a second home to her and it was quite unsettling that she could love a country, a land as much as she loved hers. Maria was so deep in thought that she didn't hear the sound of metal boots approaching her slowly, just as much as she didn't notice when the sound came to a halt right behind her.

"Portugal, are you alright?" asked a very worried Arthur who stood right behind her, he was in a hurry to get to the stables when he saw her leaning against a wall with a thoughtful look, almost sad it seemed and… He was scared; scared that it was him that put her in that state, scared that she had changed her mind about… He couldn't even think about the word 'dating' without blushing furiously, but that's what they were doing right? They were a couple now, however he still had no idea how to approach her about it, could he just kiss her when he wanted now?

"Huh?" asked the brunette startled as she turned to face the taller man. "Good morning Inglaterra… Where are you going with an armor?" she asked again as a small smile turned in to frown, she got concerned, wearing an armor always meant trouble.

It wasn't fair that she held such a great amount of power just by locking her eyes with his, England found himself slightly breathless by her swift change of displayable emotions and he didn't really understand the cause of it. "There's a dispute between two villages and I was ordered to go have a look and settle things. It's not really a big deal.". A self-assertive grin followed his words, he was proud of his strength and of his people; there was nothing that he couldn't handle, but even so she worried for his safety. With her arms crossed she approached him, giggling sweetly at his presumption.

"Do you need help? I can go with you if you want." she uttered with that same smile that put Arthur into a daze.

"… No, there is no need." he answered, diverting his eyes from her bright blue, greenish ones. He knew if he kept looking into those eyes of hers a blush would easily emerge on his pale skin.

"Fine." she said amusingly as she took a step forward. "I'll be waiting for your return…". She was still quite anxious about what she was thinking, but it would have to be left for later; slowly she drew closer to Arthur who got a bit jumpy by the sudden closeness, he was still so unsure of what to do, but it seemed like she wasn't. When her hand touched his armor he cringed, the thought of what the possibilities of how this scene would enroll troubled his already jittery mind; as she got on the tip of her toes her face was right in front of his just few inches apart. She was getting closer to him by the second and he froze, the fear of someone seeing such display of affection was battling against the bold side of him that wanted to kiss those plump rosy lips of hers, and both sides were losing.

Noticing his ambivalence and very flustered cheeks, Maria closed the distance and kissed the corner of his mouth leaving a warm fuzzy feeling in both his cheek and lips. England was still paralyzed by the mixture of emotions that dwelled his soul and just looked into her eyes, he was so troubled by all of it that he just couldn't stop staring blankly to the woman he loved.

Portugal found it so cute how everything she did made a mess out of him. "What's wrong Inglaterra? You look awfully red.".

"I-I'm not…" he stuttered, turning his face immediately to the side. "I have to leave immediately though…".

"I know, goodbye Arthur." And her smile melted his heart again, why couldn't he just be a normal person and not get affected like this! She seemed so calm about it, but he did not know that she was as happy and excited as him; that she felt her heart stop when she heard his voice, that she was as madly in love for him as he was for her… It was just harder to make her feel embarrassed about it... With the last bit of courage that he still had he looked at her briefly, mesmerizing her beauty before he left and smiled.

"Goodbye… l-love. I'll… I'll be back soon.". And he left leaving a very surprised Portuguese woman behind, he couldn't be more nervous about saying such thing so the best he could do was just walk away hiding his red face from Maria. Her heart started to ache in an amazing violent way when those words reached her ears, she tried to face him and call him her love as well, but he was no longer there as expected. Instead she just walked away scarlet red waiting for his quick return.

Unfortunately, Arthur was taking a long time to come back and it wouldn't take long for the sun to set marking the end of another day. Tomorrow she would have to leave… however she did find where she wanted to drag Arthur; for that purpose the maids lent her a plain chestnut dress like she requested and would warn Arthur as soon as he arrived, she just hoped that they wouldn't ruin the surprise.

Currently, Portugal waited in her guest room sitting next to the window with her eyes closed, enjoying the fresh breeze on her tanned skin and chocolate brown hair. She was restless, the thoughts from earlier still wandered inside her mind and his absence wasn't making it easier; luckily a soft knock on the door cleared her mind, was it him? Without asking who it was, Maria got up from the seat and opened the door of her room, her heart was beating expectantly for the arrival of the blonde Englishman. He was there, behind her door, smiling slightly at her with his eyes focused solely on her, wearing a simple dress shirt and pants just as the maids asked him to; those who knew him would never see him smile as much as when he was with her, but then they would never understand how much she meant to him. Her face lighted up when she saw him and before Arthur could say a thing she grabbed his left arm and dragged him inside startling him senseless.

"Bloody hell, Port! Why did you do that for?" said Arthur a bit infuriated by the sudden event.

"Calling me new things again Arthur?". The Portuguese woman said amused by his quick change of mood as she closed the door behind them and faced him once again.

"I… I-I…". But the words wouldn't come, the country known as England was getting redder and redder to the point that he couldn't look to her anymore, he felt frustrated and angry for not being able to express himself as he wanted so he clenched his fists in exasperation. Seeing him in such distress Maria got closer to him and held on of his hands sweetly on hers, instantly Arthur relaxed and looked towards her with a curious expression.

"Meu amor (my love), you don't have to be embarrassed about it. I will love everything you decide to call me, but let's go we are getting late." her words were just so sweet and loving, the way she looked at him, then way she smiled; Arthur just blushed harder but tried to brush it off.

"Late for what exactly?" he asked trying to sound serious, but her soft right hand in his and his blush destroyed such facade, as much as he tried he couldn't stand next to her without looking like a total mess.

"It's a surprise, now hurry up.".

Having a good hold on England's and Portugal started dragging him out of the room, she was smiling like a fool while she tried to pull Arthur out of his comfort zone but he didn't seem to want to budge much. "Come on Arthur we aren't going very far, stop being a wuss…"

"Who are you calling a wuss?! I'm England, I don't fear a freaking thing.". Arthur burst, letting his pride transpire from his words. His sudden irritation was hilarious to her and she laughed, Portugal laughed quietly as his hand tensed on hers, why did she like to put him on the edge like that? Seriously this woman would be his death if she continued to pull him out of his corner; but he liked it because it meant that she cared…

Trying to calm himself down, Arthur closed his eyes and focused on the faint loving brushes that his love's thumb did on his pale hand, he shouldn't have acted that way and he regretted it, but he knew she was fooling with him. He was an idiot, but still she smiled and she laughed. He didn't feel like he deserved her, even after his outburst she tried to calm him down.

"I'm sorry…" he said with his eyes still closed, receiving a soft quick kiss as an answer. Caught off guard, he opened his eyes and questionably looked at her surprised.

"Come on, let's go and stop being silly". she uttered, pulling him gently once again which he complied and followed.

"Oh shush…" he replied embarrassed, letting her lead the way. What more could he do? He was in love.

Through the halls they wandered searching for some sort of exit to the castle and, hand in hand, they walked towards the nearby village. Maria heard the people in the castle talking about a small celebration that night and she wanted to go there with him. The sun was still visible in the skies, but it wouldn't take much time for it to start setting giving it's place to the beautiful white moon, as they got there people were already making the arrangements, cooking and setting a fireplace in the middle of the town with several logs as benches; that sure gave her many happy memories.

"What are we doing here Por…" England tried to ask as they stopped by the village's entrance, only to be interrupted by the woman next to him.

"Shush Arthur!" she mumbled. "The reason I brought you here is because we can be ourselves and act like a normal couple, like normal people so just call me by my human name… I thought… It would be fun for us to leave the problems we have as nations behind for a bit. We are humans too are we not?". She wanted him to understand so much, so she squeezed his hand lightly reassuring him that everything would be ok even if they had a moment for themselves.

"I do understand… It's just hard… I mean… I love you very much, it's just hard for me to…". With his free hand he scratch the back of his neck nervously, the words got themselves caught in his throat not willing to come out and even if they acted like normal people, it would be always awkward on him… he had to admit that his personality lacked in social skills.

"I know meu amor." she said smiling at the messy blonde; inside his hazy mind he just wondered how lucky he had been for having her in his life. Feeling a bit more confident, Arthur nuzzled her forehead shocking the young woman senseless, it seemed like he too could turn her into a blushing mess and it made him happy that he wasn't the only one getting abashed by the sweet affectionate touches.

"We should enjoy it then, don't we? Let's go." he asked and, with a sweet smile and a confidence boost, Arthur lead her towards the festivities leaving all the doubts and angsts that filled his everyday life inside the walls of the castle. He would make the best out of that day for both of them.

The remaining hours of light were spent walking and having fun with the villagers that welcomed them into their festivities, they celebrated what was an actual good harvest, they sang, they played some traditional games, even Arthur joined in a friendly game of chess. He already knew he would win every game, but playing chess was like preparing a battle and, to save those he loved, his people, he couldn't lose focus. Most of the time he was pulled by Portugal to try something new, he didn't like it much but he enjoyed the effort she made to make him feel included in a group, everyone seemed to like her especially the children; but Arthur didn't like the stares the young men gave her, every time someone next to him looked at her awkwardly he looked back at them daring them to keep looking; if stares could kill, many people would have dropped dead right at that moment. England was furious, but his expression softened when Maria was near him again holding his arm, the amorous aura that surrounded them was noticeable to his people, in there they were just Arthur and Maria, a young couple in love. Most of the time people would ask him when he was planning on asking the young woman to be his bride; couldn't just people mind their own business? He would just get crimson red every darn time some old couple, especially the women mentioned that to him. They found his shyness quite adorable, love was something rare in that era and rooting for such emotions seemed mandatory. Most never had the chance to have love in their lives…

It was too soon to think about marriage anyways it's not like nations could get married to each other, they were humans but… was it even possible? Arthur decided to ignore the thoughts and the overwhelming emotions that came with idea of being by her side forever, they had just… well just… kissed and confessed their feelings… it was too soon wasn't it? To feel like the way he did… his mind was starting to shatter considerably; he was getting seriously confused by the rumbling battle between what he thought he felt and what he actually did. He was so immerged in his own world that he forgot what he was doing… That's right… they were asked to join the others around the bonfire, well he was sat there watching actually. Maria was talking to the other young maidens as he sat there in a log mesmerizing her carefree nature. She was so sweet and kind, but so fierce, curious and strong. She wasn't the most ladylike woman in the world and he guessed that was one of the things he liked the most, she wasn't arrogant like they were, she was fun even daring sometimes and never afraid to speak her mind. In that land of his she was exotic, her slightly tanned flawless skin, her glimmering eyes, the way she moved gracefully dancing with the other women and children, she was a mirage. Her beauty beyond comparison made him shiver under the warm jolty blazing things that grew bigger under the starry night; there was no moon tonight to watch her swirl around in that chestnut prison that enfolded her curves, even as a gentleman he could not keep himself from looking, but in his case it was different, she was his.

He felt his heart beat to the sound of the music that flooded his ears, but it became uneven, loud and wild when she was right in front of him, dancing and gazing him with a smile while the light bright oranges reflected in her soft Mediterranean skin, she always made him feel weird in every sense of way… And she felt free, like a normal woman should feel, free form the duties as a nation that would crush any human and so, Maria let herself go as the music, the people, everything was carved into her memory. When a new melody started ringing in her ears she sang with her full heart and soul, just like when she was home alone. No one had really heard her before she liked to keep her voice a secret, but her voice was amazing it spread strong deep confusing feelings to those who heard, something that was later recognized as one of the world's treasures, the beautiful melodies of the Portuguese. She had no idea the power she held in her powerful melodies in the way she danced under the infinite skies. She made his heart stop…

_Merrily we sailed along_

_Though the waves were plenty strong_

_Down the twisting river Rhine_

_Following a song..._

_Legend's faded storyline_

_Tried to warn us all_

_Oh, they called her "Loreley"_

_Careful or you'll fall..._

_Oh, the stories we were told_

_Quite a vision to behold_

_Mysteries of the seas in her eyes of gold..._

_Laying on the silver stone, such a lonely sight_

_Barnacles become a throne, my poor Loreley..._

_And the winds would cry, and many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down to the Loreley..._

_And the winds would cry, and many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down to the Loreley..._

The way she danced and sang… letting the music guide her steps as the other women danced around her with long dresses dirtied by the soil and grass, how could he explain the way she made him feel. He felt like he was hit by a horse at full speed, enchanted by her voice and grace, in love with her words and ways, pulled out of his being and drawn to her. To that smile that never seemed to cease, to her always caring and loving side, to everything she was; she was a mermaid, it was the best description he could give her, her love for the sea her beauty beyond comparison, her eyes and finally her voice, such an amazing voice that made his heart twist in a weird way. Unfortunately he wasn't the only one, the men were looking at her in a way that made Arthur shiver in intense anger, arguing with each other to decide who would try have a shot with the long haired beauty. In a fit of anger Arthur stood up from the log he was sitting trying to cool down his head and headed towards her direction, now next to her he tapped her shoulder and offered his hand. He thought that if he went first, they would stop looking at her, stop seeing her as available, but it didn't mean that he wasn't a bit embarrassed by it. When she turned around to face him he gave her a small sweet smile, asking her with his eyes to please accept a dance with him as he didn't want to share; but he didn't had to worry. Maria took his hand and entangled her fingers in his, closing the distance between their bodies; in the darkness of the night their blushes weren't visible, not even when they were so close to each other. With the eyes set on the other they danced and to the rhythm of the song he would twirl her around only to secure her on his chest. He was so close to her, she could just kiss his lips if she got on the tip of her toes, but every time he looked at her so intensively and held her in his arms, every time he was so close… she felt herself swoon by his touch, by the sensation of having her chest occasionally touching his… The loving way he danced with her, she felt like she couldn't sing anymore, her throat was dry and her cheeks burning red; but she did.

_You would not believe your eyes, how a voice could hypnotize_

_Promises are only lies from Loreley_

_In a shade of mossy green, seashell in her hand_

_She was born the river queen, ne'er to grace the land..._

_And the winds would cry, and many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down to the Loreley..._

_And the winds would cry, and many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down to the Loreley..._

_Oh, the song of Loreley_

_Charms the moon right from the sky..._

_She will get inside your mind, loveley Loreley..._

_When she cries "Be with me until the end of time"_

_You know you will ever be with your Loreley..._

_And the winds would cry, and many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down to the Loreley..._

_And the winds would cry, and many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down to the Loreley..._

_And the winds would cry, and many men would die_

_And all the waves would bow down to the Loreley..._

Cheers where heard when the song ended; Arthur had his arms circled around her waist both protectively and possessively as she hid herself in pure mortification against his chest unable to control the fuzzy feelings that forced their way out of her heart. Portugal never sang out in the open like that but most of all, it was the closeness, how he suddenly tried to show his feelings for her on the edge, how he looked at her in such a loving way; as for Arthur he was staring at the displeased men giving them a very happy sneer in return. That would put them in place… it made everyone else laugh but it didn't matter, he was happy. After a short while both said their goodbyes to the happy crowd behind then, they were so tired but happy as they walked back to the castle hand in hand, Maria made a promise to herself to take him out of his comfort zone more often, he seemed to be content.

"Arthur?" she asked receiving a questioning look from the blonde man that walked alongside her.

"Yes?" he responded. England was still thinking about their day together, he had been too shy to give her what he got her before… but in few hours she would go back to her country, the fear of losing her was still imminent in his heart. He just wanted a little more time with her.

"Why was everyone laughing?" she curiously asked.

"Nothing…" he said quite embarrassed and started to look to the grassy fields they stepped on before she stopped him with a small tug on his sleeve.

"Come on Artie. Just tell me!". She was so curious, at the time she had been too embarrassed to even ask.

"It's just…" and his cheeks became bloody red; he couldn't even look her in the eye. "… Some men were looking… so I… made sure they wouldn't have any ideas…". He was very honest with his answer, he couldn't and wouldn't let anyone harm her or take advantage of her.

"Ideas? Even if they had ideas I can defend myself, you know that." She plainly said, she was strong and she knew so very well, but then an idea stroke her… "Were you jealous meu amor?".

"T-That's nonsense!" he blurted, losing the ability to remain calm. "Why would I be jealous?".

"I don't know." she said with a smug on her face.

"Well… I had to show them you were mine; I was getting pissed off at those gits looking at you like you were food. They have no right…". Arthur let his anger for those men show in his words and actions, so he let go of her hand gently and turned his back to her, he didn't want her to see him so choleric.

Arthur was rubbing his temples trying to figure out what to say; when Maria started rubbing his back sweetly and he started to calm down a bit, she didn't like to see him like this, it was not her intention to anger him to such extent. She just found it quite charming how he tried to protect her from small things, mostly how he kept saying that she was his in such a possessive and loving way.

"Maria…" and he turned himself to face her, he seemed a bit calmer but still a bit tense. "Can… can I k…" he tried to say, the small hints of red in his cheeks became darker and more noticeable and his breathing uneven. Mentally he tried to coach himself into finishing the question but he became more nervous… "Can I k-kiss you… when I… I… want to now?".

And she nodded silently, he was such a silly man for asking such question but she smiled; always a gentleman. "Of course you can…" Maria said as she closed the distance between those warm bodies of theirs, Arthur took that chance and leaned down to kiss her. With his hands now on her shoulders he pulled her closer and closer until he could feel her chest on his, he looked deep into her eyes studying the features of her face. He was so close, their noses barely touching each other, their eyes half closed waiting for the right moment to close to the sweet loving emotion that bloomed from their hearts when they kissed; with a leap of faith Arthur gently touched her lips with his experimenting the still new feeling that kissing her gave him. It was so pleasurable… the electric charge he felt when he lips touched hers, the way their lips moved slowly and sweetly trying to get to know each other. In all meanings it was an innocent kiss filled with love but many insecurities that would surely disappear overtime.

"I don't want you to go tomorrow." he said as soon as their lips parted. He seemed so vulnerable at moment, so sad and grieving.

"I would love to stay, but I can't. My king wants me to go to France and to other places so we can start trading with them… my people need to eat Arthur.". Portugal with her arms pressed against his chest, placed her head on the nook of his neck trying to feel a bit less guilty about her sudden leave. She too didn't want to go, maybe in the future they could be together more often… it pained her heart to leave him, not knowing when she would be able to hug him again.

"I know… but if France tries anything on you I'll kill him.". At that statement Maria giggled slightly, she knew her England wasn't fond of the nation of romance, but still it was amusing to watch their arguments.

"Pft he can't touch me, I would hurt him instead." she blurted out seriously. Arthur chuckled at her smart remark; she was his strong lady after all, but even if she was capable of defending herself he would be there. That's what he promised himself ever since they became friends and now, as a couple, he would double his efforts.

"Promise me that you'll never leave my side love, please." He asked as his hands traveled her back and hugged her tightly as they reached her waist.

"I promise you, I'll always help when I can and when I can't. I will never leave your side.". Her voice vibrated in his skin which made him feel weird in a good kind of way.

"And I will never leave yours, I'll protect you Maria… from anyone, specially France."

It didn't take long for them to reach the castle walls, the moonless sky protected them from the guards as they sneaked in and headed towards his room. Apparently Arthur had something for her that couldn't wait until tomorrow. It was a rapier, it seemed like he had been trying to give that to her for a while now and she loved every single thing about it, the golden handle extended itself in loops that protected a small portion of the sharp silver blade; the pommel was incrusted with blue and green gems, just like the colors of her round eyes, it was absolutely beautiful. When asked about it, Arthur only said that a lighter sword would do much better for her in battle, plus he wanted her to be always armed especially now that she had to go to France… and she hugged him spontaneously catching him off guard letting go of all of the pain and sadness that the following they would give them.

Portugal would always recall those memories she shared with him when she was going through rough times, one of those was that particular night; they've been talking in his room for hours until she fell asleep on his shoulder, and in the morning they were still embracing each other sleeping not so comfortably on that long sofa like chair.

It always helped her cease the agony she felt in her heart, like right now… The city that was the heart of her nation was now surrounded by her own brother who ought to conquer it and making it his… It was 1383 at the time, the small flames from the enemy's bonfires were seen outside in the forest nearby, and that enemy was her goofy younger brother. Feeling the tears falling from already bloodshot eyes, Maria wiped them off quickly muffling the never ending sobs with the long sleeves of her dark blue dress. She could see them outside from her window, she… she couldn't… she couldn't imagine why would Antonio do this to her! Her heart was being squeezed inside her chest in agony, his brother was out there to kill her… Did he even know what he was doing meant? As soon as her culture and her people were erased during the years she spent under his wing, she would fade away just like father Rome… It was odd but she did like Rome as an adoptive father for her and Espanha and he too was gone, next it would be her… not without a fight she would, but when she started killing his brother's soldiers her heart broke, they had quarrels in the past but this was getting out of hand…

Suddenly Arthur mumbled something inaudible in his sleep, who would have guessed that he would leave everything behind countless of times just to help her during the several battles she had with her sibling, he came to her exhausted almost breathless from his last battle with France. As soon as he the news of his beloved being invaded by Castile arrived, one of her sibling's kingdoms, he assembled an army and headed towards Portugal. He did leave his country well protected of course, he was sure to tell her that before she started arguing with him about being able to handle things on her own, he knew she was just worried for him… England was so tired when he held her in his arms trying to console her, his shirt was already filled with stains of the salty tears that fell from her eyes tainted in red by grief and sorrow, as much as he hugged her and kissed her forehead she still trembled and shivered. She loved her little brother, and there was nothing that he could do to end with her misery in the moment, but after what it seemed to be hours sitting in her bed caressing her whispering sweet words, she began to relax under his loving touches, truth to be told her eyes were too dry to shed another tear. He didn't remember exactly when he had fallen asleep or how, but he was really needing the rest, and although Portugal insisted that he didn't need to be there, she was grateful that the man she loved was so willing to protect her even without an alliance between both nations.

She just wondered how an innocent love between a prince and a chambermaid was the reason for her downfall, how her Queen betrayed her for her son-in-law the King of Castile, how her brother was so willing to steal her land from her. So, as Arthur slept soundly in her bed, Maria reflected on the events that lead to that present moment, from the first kisses that she and Arthur shared in his homeland to the moment that her heart broke with both her Queen's and brother's betrayal. Besides everything she would never give up.

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**Rate and Review, plus ideas about future interaction with other countries are always welcomed. **


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